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Graham Aker
is a fictional character of Mobile Suit Gundam 00. In the series, Graham is one of the main antagonists and the main rival to Setsuna F. Seiei. In Season 1, Graham is the ace pilot for the Union of Solar Energy and Free Nations, who later became the Captain of the Overflags Squadron fighting against the Gundams and Celestial Being, piloting the SVMS-01E Union Flag Graham Aker Custom and later the SVMS-01X Union Flag Custom II. He later returns in Season 2 as , an independent Licensed Captain working for the Earth Sphere Federation's Autonomous Peace-Keeping Force (A-Laws), piloting the GNX-704T/AC Ahead Sakigake and later the Flag derived GNX-U02X Masurao and GNX-Y901TW Susanowo. In ''A wakening of the Trailblazer, Graham leads the Sol Brave Squadron and pilots the GNX-903VW Brave (Commander Test Type) Personality & Character Graham overall is a career soldier, always looking for the next challenge. He's fearless, confident, prideful, stubborn, honorable, a romantic, and later a devout believer in Bushido (ancient Japanese samurai philosophy and martial arts). Being one of the best MS pilots on Earth, he became bored with life as there was little to challenge his talents. After the appearance of Celestial Being and squaring off with the Gundams, he self-admitted that their appearance gave him a reason to live again and it became his obsession to defeat Celestial Being with the pride of a Flag Fighter. As such, he stubbornly piloted all Flag mobile suits without considering the GN-X series. It was only after the Flag became obsolete that he relented to piloting a GN-X, GNX-704T/AC Ahead Sakigake. After the events of AD 2307 (Season 1), Graham never completely recovered mentally and physically from his encounters with CB, especially with Gundam Meister Setsuna F. Seiei. He treated his previous battles as a defeat and can only find a personal sense of closure by defeating CB. Graham studied the ways of Bushido to further develop himself as a warrior (influenced by Homer Katagiri). He then wore an old samurai mask to cover the scarred tissue over his face as a constant reminder of his defeat so that he may draw strength from it in battle. By AD 2312, (Season 2), he was a licensed ESF soldier under the alias, Mr. Bushido. He was granted complete autonomy over any mission he chose. Because his only interest was in Setsuna/00, he often stayed at a distance until he eventually challenged Setsuna to settle his personal score to restore his honor. Graham wanted to die in glorious battle, but Setsuna denied him the satisfaction, instead telling Graham to let go of the past and fight for the future. That battle resulted in Graham putting aside his past transgressions and returning to his old self. By AD 2314, Graham discarded his mask and Mr. Bushido identity. He had let go of his grudges against the Gundams and realized his misguided obsession was wrong. He returned to the ESF Army as a more confident leader, now more willing to work with a team. Graham was given command of the new Sol Brave Squadron. Graham now understands the importance of mutual understanding and the need to live for the future. Skills & Abilities Graham has the apparently unique quirk of customizing all of his mobile suits to be "left-handed" (mounting a shield, if so equipped, on the right arm and carrying the main weapon with the left), because he is left-handed himself. Graham is a notably good pilot who has made several accomplishments throughout the series. Graham learned how pilot the YMS-01A Union Flag at a young age and was the first person to master the mid-air transformation in a mobile suit without '' reading the manual. This coined the phrase ''Graham Special, referring to this maneuver. Although Graham is a good shot in a mobile suit, his forte is high speed melee mobile suit combat. He is known for being able to fight formidably against GN mobile suits. Graham's incredible piloting ability is evident by managing to survive and endure his engagements with the Gundams. Graham is also one of the few pilots who does not like to use a GN Field for defensive purposes. By A.D. 2314, Graham had sharpened his skills even further to where he could perform the Graham Special while flying at high speeds and in zero-G environments. History Early Days Graham Aker was born on September 10, 2280 AD. According to one of 00 CD Dramas, Graham grew up as an orphan who had a fascination for flying the skies. Following his passion, Graham enlisted in the Union Army to become a pilot. In AD 2302, Warrant Officer Graham Aker was transferred into Union USA 3rd Air Force Team and was put under the command of “living legend” Sleg Sletcher. Due to his confidence and cleverness, Graham was able to catch the attention of the superior officer, and the two quickly became close friends. At one point, Sleg even offered Graham to take his daughter’s hand in marriage, but Graham gracefully declined. During their trainings, Graham was not able to defeat Sleg in stimulated battles. Two years later, Second Lieutenant Graham was appointed as the test pilot of the Iris Corporation’s prototype YMS-01A Union Flag. He awed the developers, Billy Katagiri and Ralph Eifman, for having pulled off a mid-air transformation without reading the manual; the maneuver was dubbed “Graham Special” and “Graham Maneuver” due to this feat. He later learned that his former mentor, Sleg Sletcher, was piloting the rival suit for the Union’s mainstay, the Belfactory’s YMS-02 Union Blast. Graham wanted to know why Sleg has suddenly decided to pilot a mobile suit after not having piloted for a long time; it was only later that he learned that his mentor accepted Belfactory’s offer to pay for his daughter’s medical expenses. During the competition between the two units, Sleg, knowing the superiority of the Flag, attempted a suicide attack to take it down. However, Graham pulled off a mid-air transformation and cut off one of Blast’s wings. The Union Blast crashed down, killing Sleg in the process. The Flag won the competition as the Union’s new mainstay, while Graham was promoted as First Lieutenant. As a tribute to his fallen mentor, Graham added elements from Sleg’s coat of arms to his. Rumors of Graham intentionally killing his superior became a sensation among the soldiers, but Graham brushes off the allegations. He was reinstated in MSWΛD (Mobile Suit Warehouse and Development) and became one of their ace pilots. Debut of Celestial Being In AD 2307, Graham went to AEU African Military Base to see the demonstration of the AEU's new mobile suit, the AEU-09 AEU Enact, that was attended by various politicians and military dignitaries. There he joined his close colleague, MSWAD Tech Advisor Billy Katagiri, in watching the AEU's first solar-powered unit show off its capabilities. Billy commented to Graham how the unit was a complete rip-off of their SVMS-01 Union Flag. During the demonstration, a mysterious mobile suit suddenly appeared from the sky to the testing ground. At first glance, Graham quickly noticed the strange green light coming out of the unit. The new Enact quickly engaged the intruder in battle, but was easily mutilated and defeated. Graham was so impressed by the intruder's capabilities that he immediately grabbed hold of a stranger's binoculars to examine it fully. And there he saw it; GUNDAM, the name etched on the forehead of the mobile suit. After the Gundam had left and the AEU's demonstration cut short by the incident, Graham and Billy talked in their SUV about the Gundam and the AEU's possible response. AEU's retaliation using mobile suits from Orbital Elevator confirmed suspicions that they have excessive mobile suits stationed there than what the treaties permitted. Graham concluded that the Gundam's appearance was a check and a warning against AEU's military expansion. Later that night, they learned about the organization claiming to possess the Gundams. Celestial Being's founder Aeolia Schenberg announced to the world about their goal of eradicating war off the planet using the mobile weapon Gundams. As Graham drives through the darkness, he laughed at Celestial Being's hypocrisy. Despite this, he was completely mesmerized by the Gundam's mysterious and overwhelming power. Graham and Billy was later called back to report to headquarters about what they had witness at the AEU Military Testing Grounds. Detour to Ceylon As Graham and Billy flew back to Union territory, military reports came in about the Celestial Being's impending attack on Ceylon. The two talk about the conflict which has been happening in the region for centuries and how HRL's intervention had made the situation worse, plunging it to a state of anarchy. With the Gundams appearing in the conflict, Graham asked the captain of the ship to make an altered course for Ceylon and had his Flag prepped for launch. Graham sighted the lone blue Gundam after its mission from Ceylon and immediately transformed his Flag mid-air to confront it. Upon meeting, the two units were immediately locked into sword confrontation. Graham introduced himself to the Gundam pilot, He tried to overpower the Gundam, but it was able to push back the Flag. The Gundam swung its big GN Sword again to hack at the Flag, but Graham was able to dodge it. Flanking the Gundam, Graham decided to rip-off one of the Gundam's arms. However, it simply shoved off his Flag once again. Taking a distance from the Gundam, Graham then attempted to shoot it down, but Gundam Exia dodged all the attacks and chopped down his rifle with a beam saber, much to Graham's surprise. With most of his armaments destroyed, Graham begrudgingly decided to retreat, leaving the Gundam unscathed. Back in the carrier, Graham expressed his remorse for losing his Flag's armaments, but Billy consoled him that the data they got from the Gundam were more than enough to make up for it. Graham also added how surprised he was to learn that the Gundam pilot was so young; the pilot seemed to express his emotions though the movements of his Gundam. Just then, the captain of the carrier reported that they had lost sight of the Gundam. With that, they continued their way to the MSWAD headquarters. Anti-Celestial Being Campaign At the Union MSWAD headquarters, Graham and Billy had a meeting with their commander and reported everything that had transpired during the Enact's demonstration. Billy suggested that it was worth their time to research about the Gundams. The commander agreed and handed to both Graham and Billy their new orders; since both of them had seen the Gundams, they were both transferred to an Anti-Gundam Investigative Task Force. Its formal name was yet to be decided, but with Professor Ralph Eifman as Head technologist, the commander knew how important this newly formed team actually is. Both Graham and Billy accepted the transfers. As the two walked through the hallways, Billy asked if Graham had anticipated this to happen. Graham admitted he did not, but felt that fate was at work with the events that were unfolding. Custom Flag Upgrade & Taribia In one of the MSWAD hangars, Graham joined Billy in examining the data from his Flag pertaining its recent battle with the Gundam. They found out that the Gundam has six times the output of that of the Flag. Graham could not believe that despite the output, the Gundam was still so agile. The two hypothesized that the suit's performance is controlled by its mysterious particles. Just then, Professor Ralph Eifman joined in in their conversation and added that the particles might have also been used in its weaponry. He marveled Aeolia Schenberg for having developed something so advanced and suggested to capture a Gundam if possible. Graham agreed and, for that purpose, proposed for his Flag to be modified. Disregarding the pilot's safety, he asked for the work to be done in a week. At that same time, Graham received a call about a Gundam bombing a large plantation of narcotics in Taribia and prepared to move out, but he was stopped by Prof. Eifman, who supported the Gundam's action. Later, Graham received his upgraded Flag unit, the SVMS-01E Union Flag Graham Aker Custom. In addition, they were joined in the task force by Warrant Officer Howard Mason and Master Sergeant Daryl Dodge, who were both transferred via Graham's recommendation. Around this time also, Taribia announced its intentions of seceding from the Union and claiming independent access to the solar energy generating system. With the Union orbital elevator in its close proximity, tensions rose between Taribia and the Union. Graham and his team were immediately put on standby in case Celestial Being intervened. Graham viewed this as an opportunity to test his new Flag. As the Gundams arrived on the main cities in Taribia, they started attacking the Taribian mobile suit forces; they viewed Taribia's decision as a source of conflict. With the devastating turn of events, Taribia withdrew its decision and asked the Union to protect their forces from the Gundams' attacks. Union immediately responded with a counteroffensive. Graham happily obliged the orders as he chased after GN-001 Gundam Exia, which was then withdrawing to the Pacific. Having caught up to it, he transformed mid-air to engage the Gundam in close combat. The two mobile suits exchanged shots, which ultimately led up to Graham being the victor. Thrown off-balanced, the Exia plunged into the ocean and withdrew from the battle. The new Flag managed to stand against the Gundam, but Graham gave up pursuit, handing it over to the newly discovered underwater capabilities of the Gundams. AEU & HRL Gundam Capture Attempts In the midst of Celestial Being operations, the Republic of Moralia and the AEU formally announced a joint military exercise to strengthen their ties. Upon the news, Graham and Billy speculated that, aside from the needed benefits of the alliance, it was all done in an attempt to lure and capture the Gundams. The Anti-Gundam Investigative Task Force monitored the situation during the day of the exercise. With two of Gundams carrying new equipments, Graham thought that Celestial Being was being serious this time. The conflict lasted for less than 5 hours, ending with the AEU/Moralia alliance surrendering unconditionally. Despite the lost, Billy talked about how this will only strengthen the support for AEU's military expansion. Graham shared his opinion that Celestial Being might be waking the path to their own destruction, which Prof. Eifman agreed. After the Moralian operation, a terrorist group, La Edenra, launched simultaneous attacks around the globe, seeking the disarmament of Celestial Being. Feeling restless by the turn of events, Graham launched with his Flag to search for any signs leading to La Edenra; he was accompanied by Howard and Daryl. They didn't to get any leads, but Celestial Being later was able to locate La Edenra's secret bases and dealt a heavy blow to the terrorist organization. Months later, news of a failed Gundam capture attempt, which had been executed by the HRL, reached the Anti-Gundam Investigative Task Force. With the operation costing HRL more than 20 of their Tierens, Howard and Daryl were blown away by the Gundams' overwhelming power. However, Graham reminded them that power isn't the only thing that determines the winner in a fight. Azadistan Civil War With the impending civil war in the Kingdom of Azadistan, following the abduction of conservative leader, Rasa Massoud Rachmadi, the Union decided to send military aid to provide order and ease the tension in the country. The Anti-Gundam Investigative Task Force was one of the mobile suit squadrons sent; Graham and his fellow Flag pilots hoped to encounter a Gundam during the conflict. During the night patrol, Graham and his team noticed a fighting at the Solar Power Receiver Antenna Facility. They could not tell which side belongs to the traitors; ground mobile suits belonging to the Azadistan army were fighting amongst themselves. A Gundam also joined in the battle and attacked the ground forces from a far. Then suddenly, adding to the confusion, a cluster of missiles were launched from elsewhere, destroying the antenna facility. Graham immediately ordered Howard and Daryl to pursue the culprit who launched the missiles. He focused his sights on fighting the Gundam Dynames. Dynames took the first shot at Graham's Flag. Graham dodged using the "Graham Special" maneuver and retaliated using his custom rifle; Dynames defended using its GN Shield. The Gundam continued shooting, but Graham kept his persistence, maneuvering and dodging his way towards it. As he reached close combat range, Graham threw a kick at Dynames; he attempted to follow through with a slash using the plasma sword, but Dynames blocked it using a beam saber. Being in toe-to-toe with the Gundam, Graham grew ecstatic. Then, Dynames pulled out its beam pistol, prompting Graham to pull back and block its close shots with the defense rod. Furious about the damage on his Flag, Graham rushed in towards the Gundam. As the two mobile suits were about to clash however, an emergency call came alerting the Union forces about the coup d'état forces heading towards the Azadistan capital. Graham's Flag stood in a stand-off against Gundam Dynames for a while until Graham finally decided to retreat and head to the capital with his Flag squadron. Two days later, Graham escorted Billy to the site where the missile attack originated. While talking about possible links to the culprit, Graham noticed a young boy hiding behind the rocks from above. He called out the boy and asked him about the civil unrest in the country; he asked if the Union forces was a nuisance for stepping in. The boy tried to be objective, adding that more soldiers only mean that more people are going to die. Graham argued that the boy himself was also fighting; apparent by his stance, with his right hand hiding a pistol behind his back. The two exchanged glares, but Graham eventually let the boy off and decided to leave. He even slipped out that the one responsible for the missile attack was the stolen Enact from the PMC Trust. Celestial Being later declared the successful rescue of Massoud Rachmadi. Graham and his Flag fighters were on standby as an unarmed Gundam Exia delivered the Rasa back to the Azadistan Palace. As the Gundam retreated, Howard and Daryl were adamant that they pursue the Gundam, but Graham objected against it to save face from being viewed villains by the whole world. Taklamakan Capture Operation Graham's team later got its official name, "Overflags", and received 12 new pilots, each of them aces of their previous squadrons. The Overflags also received new SVMS-01O Over Flags for its pilots to use. It was later revealed that the Overflags will take part of "Project G", which was the Three Blocs' joint operation focused on capturing the Gundams in Taklamakan. Overflag pilot, Joshua Edwards, expressed his doubts on Graham's position as a Squadron Commander due to Graham's questionable promotion in the past. However, Graham didn't pay any mind and vowed to clear his reputation on the battlefield. Around the 15th hour of the operation, Graham and the Overflags got the permission to launch and to capture the Gundam Dynames. Graham led the squadron into formation, but Joshua went ahead of them and got himself shot down. With Joshua gone, Graham decided to rush in and subdue the Dynames himself. Skillfully evading Dynames' shots, Graham hit the Gundam with full force, knocking out its pilot inside. The Overflags had surrounded the fallen Gundam, only to be hit by red beams of light coming from the GNW-001 Gundam Throne Eins. With their formation broken, Graham ordered his team to retreat and called their flagship for reinforcements. However, the GNW-003 Gundam Throne Drei's GN Stealth Field cut off all the communications in the area. With the battlefield thrown into confusion by the new Gundams, the joint capture operation ended in failure. Trinity MSWAD Attack After the Taklamakan Operation, the Overflags returned home. Graham blamed himself for their failure and the lost of 3 of his subordinates, but Howard and Daryl consoled him that it couldn't be help with the appearance of the 3 new Gundams. It was then that they were alerted about the new Gundams heading towards the American MSWAD base. At their arrival, the base was already destroyed to the ground. Graham learned from Billy about Professor Eifman's demise, and the news infuriated him to go on the offensive. As his squadron rained shots at GNW-002 Gundam Throne Zwei, Howard Mason broke away from formation and engaged the enemy in close quarters. Howard managed to push the Gundam, but it responded by skewering its remote control weapons into his Flag, killing him as a result. As the Gundams left from the scene, Graham gritted his teeth in anger with the deaths of his mentor and his friend, not knowing his hatred was slowly consuming his heart. After the formal service, Graham and Daryl paid their respects in front of Howard's grave. Daryl told Graham about Howard's love for the Flag and admiration for Graham as a pilot. He revealed how happy Howard had been to become a Flag Fighter and to be able fly alongside with Graham. Graham couldn't help but smile reminiscing the late friend's memory. Acknowledging Howard's sentiments, Graham then stood up in salute, saying, Vs Throne Eins Graham's squadron was transferred to a Union base in Illinois after the destruction of the MSWAD base. While checking the mobile suit hanger, Graham found Billy working on tuning his Flag. Graham recommended that Billy shouldn't exert himself due to his injuries, but Billy insisted. They talked about the attack on the MSWAD Base; Billy thought that it was a ploy to assassinate Professor Eifman, who was on the verge of discovering the secrets behind the Gundam's power source. Graham suggested the existence of a spy, which Billy also thought as a possibility. It was then an alarm went off to signal a Gundam attack on the Iris Corporation munition factory in Iowa. Despite Billy's warnings, Graham sortied alone. At the sight of Gundam Throne Eins, Graham quickly engaged it in close combat. After pulling a Graham Maneuver, he took out his Plasma Sword and forced the Gundam to draw out its beam saber. Not satisfied, Graham pushed the Gundam back and drew out another Plasma Sword to attack again. The enemy had barely managed to block when Graham followed up by kicking the beam saber out of its hand. Then, Graham launched upward to grab the hurled beam saber and quickly cut off the Gundam Throne's right arm before it can fire a shot. The Gundam retreated with its defeat, but Graham didn't follow. He got some payback for Howard, but his body was internally damaged due to many Gs he had sustained. Clenching his hand with spitted blood, he was further infuriated by his weakness. Operation Fallen Angels The Union, AEU, and HRL had been brought down to their knees by the rampages done by the Team Trinity. However, with a stroke of fortune, Celestial Being traitor, Laguna Harvey, contacted the three blocs to collect 30 GN Drives in Antarctica, along with new mobile suits, the GNX-603T GN-X. With these in their hands, the world governments united their military might under the United Nations Forces and launched the "Operation Fallen Angels" to eliminate Celestial Being. While checking on the deconstruction of the recently acquired GN beam saber, Graham learned from Billy about the acquisition of 30 GN Drives and new mobile suits. Graham was among the pilots considered to pilot the new UN Forces GN-Xs, but Graham declined the offer, in honour of his oath infront of Howard's grave. Billy and Daryl were surprised by Graham's decision, but Billy decided to help Graham by getting a GN Drive through his uncle's authority. While Daryl joined the UN Forces, Graham remained in the Union Illinois base to wait for the completion of his new custom Flag, the SVMS-01X Union Flag Custom II. Final Battle: Vs Exia With the completion of his new Flag, Graham immediately headed towards Lagrange 1 to fight against the Gundams. Upon finding the GN-001 Gundam Exia, Graham quickly clashed swords with it, exclaiming how he had waited so long for this moment. He also declared in open line to avenge the deaths of Howard and Daryl using his GN Flag. The Gundam pilot, unknown to Graham as Setsuna F. Seiei, responded by opening his line, and Graham was surprised to see that the enemy was the same boy he had met back in Azadistan. As he decapitated an arm from Gundam Exia, Graham stated, Cleaving off GN Flag's right leg, Setsuna asked why Graham was fighting if that was the case. Graham retorted it was ridiculous to ask such from a soldier; he tore out Exia's head with the beam saber. Cutting off GN Flag's head in return, Setsuna claimed that Graham had became twisted, but Graham retaliated and responded that it was the Gundams that had made him that way. As he dodged Exia's shots, Graham continued it was why he wanted to defeat the Gundams; all for his own and not of the world. Setsuna argued that Graham was also part of the world, which made Graham claim, if that was the case, that his will is the voice of the world. Setsuna disagreed, noting that Graham was just overreaching his ego; he prepared his GN Sword to cut Graham down. With his beam saber powered up, Graham accepted Setsuna's determination as a formal challenge. The GN Flag and Exia charged at each other, stabbing the other's lower right torso and upper left chest. Both mobile suits exploded as a result, causing a massive outburst of red and green particles. Before getting swallowed by the light, Graham expressed relieve to have avenged the deaths of his friends. Aftermath: The Road to Bushido Graham appeared to have died in the duel, but he survived with huge scars on his body and on the right side of his face. On the other hand, the Gundam Exia was not recovered from the space sector. Graham kept his scar as a sign of shame, believing that Celestial Being was still out there, hiding in the shadows. After his recovery, Graham later visited Homer Katagiri in his estate and asked the Union Commander to give him the appropriate power to fight in case Celestial Being returned. Through Katagiri's guidance, Graham immersed himself in the teachings of bushido, throwing everything he had away, even his identity, and obsessively incorporating his warrior code on his everyday lifestyle. He started wearing a samurai mask and robe; officers began calling him "'Mister Bushido'". Return of Celestial Being In 2312 AD, Mister Bushido was transferred into the newly created A-Laws and was given the special rank of a License Captain; a one-man army with special authority. It was not long later when Celestial Being made its return. Mister Bushido could not contain himself with the news; thanking the stars that his fate and the Gundam's were entwined once again. A-Laws Underwater Assault After knowing Celestial Being's whereabouts, Mister Bushido immediately went with Major Aber Rindt to the Middle East to have the chance to fight the Gundams once again. The A-Laws initially planned to sink Celestial Being ship CBS-74 Ptolemaios 2 underwater using the new GNMA-04B11 Trilobite, but the target was able to survive the assault, prompting the Gundams for a counterattack. Mister Bushido, in GNX-704T/AC Ahead Sakigake, was quick to intercept as the GN-0000 00 Gundam rushed towards the A-Laws flagship. While holding off the Gundam, he quickly realized that the pilot of the 00 Gundam was his rival from 4 years ago. Mister Bushido was ecstatic with the opportunity to redeem his shame, but the Gundam, unfortunately, retreated after the appearance of Katharon on the scene. Eliminating Katharon After receiving a reliable tip about its location, A-Laws launched an attack on the Katharon Headquarters. Inevitably, Celestial Being intervened to protect Katharon. Mister Bushido had joined in to observe the operation, but decided to leave with the absence of the 00 Gundam on the scene. With the appearance of Celestial Being ship on their observation satellites, the A-Laws later decided to launched another operation to eliminate Celestial Being. Mister Bushido expressed his desire to fight the "double-equipped" Gundam and told the other mobile suit teams to not intervene; they eagerly obliged to his request. During the battle, he faced the 00 Gundam alone; he was impressed with the Gundam pilot's improved marksmanship, but was extremely disappointed with the enemy mobile suit's lackluster performance. He was about to cut down the 00 when it activated its Trans-Am System. Mister Bushido was quickly overwhelmed by the Gundam's power and was forced into evasive maneuvers. In a yet another surprising turn, the 00 Gundam overloaded in the middle of combat. Mister Bushido took out his short beam saber and pointed it at the helpless Gundam, but decided not to harm it and left. Squadron Leader Barack Zinin expressed dismay about Mister Bushido's action, but Mister Bushido simply ignored him. Acquiring Masurao While A-Laws was busy preparing an underwater assault against Celestial Being, ''Mr. Bushido headed off to MSWΛD. Graham came to congratulate Billy in his recent promotion to chief of MS development and was interested in testing out a prototype twin drive MS. Billy asked for his preferences for the prototype and Graham asked for the greatest speed and sword. Billy was wondering why Graham wasn't part of his unit as they are about to take on Celestial Being, Graham said he wasn't interested in ship-to-ship battles. Eventually, the prototype, which was christened the GNX-U02X Masurao, was completed. Billy stated that it bore a resemblance to the Flag and was tuned for high speed combat. Additionally, he had installed a new system based on handwritten notes from Eifman's home. Trans-Am Rematch When a number of renegade regular soldiers take control of the African elevator, Graham guessed that Celestial Being would be there. His instincts proved this when Setsuna/00 Raiser turned up, believing that Ptolemy 2 would be there also. Graham/Masurao charged at his foe, though Setsuna didn't have time for it. Graham then revealed his secret surprise: Trans-Am. He charges again, only for Setsuna/00 Raiser to put up a GN Field before activating Trans-Am, pleasing Graham. They engaged in a high speed duel, constantly clashing with each other. As they were engaged in a sword lock, a particle beam forces them break it off. Graham looked to his right and saw Ptolemy 2 and the other Gundams providing support. With his particles nearly spent, Graham swore that they would duel again. Observing Battles Four months after the tragic Break Pillar incident, Graham's Marurao was upgraded with a new Blue System. He watched from afar as the Gundams capture Revive Revival. He was completely unimpressed with Setsuna's lack of passion for battle. Honorable Duel at Eclipse Innovator leader Ribbons Almark later assigned Graham and Warrant Officer Louise Halevy to travel to colony Eclipse at L5. Lieutenant Andrei Smirnov requested to join them in his Ahead; Graham doubted he'd be able to keep up. Once Graham arrived at Eclipse in his new GNX-Y901TW Susanowo, which posessed an even greater resemblance to the Flag, he held his sword to 00 Raiser, which was on standby with Saji Crossroad waiting for Setsuna. As Setsuna observed the Susanowo, Graham called out to hm and told him that it had been a long time. Setsuna could see Mr. Bushido's unmasked face and realized it was the same man he faced in Azadistan and in space 4-5 years ago. Graham continued, "Boy, if you do not desire the loss of your Gundam, then do as I wish." Setsuna asked, "What do you want?" Graham answered, "An earnest duel!" Setsuna was surprised by his request. Graham continued, "I, Graham Aker, hereby challenge you to a duel!" Setsuna asked if he wanted to settle their score that badly. Graham answered, Setsuna wondered about destiny as Graham retorted, "Are you ridiculing my whims? However, do not forget that the Gundam were the ones who first performed the armed interventions!" Setsuna reflected that Celestial Being had distorted Graham and accepted the challenge. Graham told Setsuna to go all out as he quickly boarded 00 Raiser and prepared for combat. Setsuna/''00 Raiser'' and Graham/Susanowo charged at each other and locked in the middle with their swords. Their fight was evenly matched and the two pulled away, Setsuna noticed Louise Halevy/GNMA-0001V Regnant had appeared and engaged Nena Trinity/GNW-003 Gundam Throne Drei nearby. Setsuna wanted Louise to stop as he sensed her hatred and desire for bloody retribution, but was distracted by the duel. Graham/Susanowo charged in and reminded Setsuna to go all out. As Setsuna/''00 Raiser'' and Graham/Susanowo locked swords again, Setsuna saw Louise/Regnant destroy Nena/Drei. The two were still evenly matched in melee combat and both began a beam fire shoot out on the surface of Eclipse. Graham/Susanowo fired the Tri-Punisher, but Setsuna/''00 Raiser'' blocked and flew upwards. Both combatants resumed two-sworded melee combat. As they fought, Graham commented over the com, "I lived on...I lived on for this! Even if I was reduced to being the Innovators' puppet...! My code of honor is...!" Graham/Susanowo charged again and clashed blades in the middle with Setsuna/''00 Raiser''. Setsuna retorted, "Going this far..!" Both of them broke away and realized they were still at a stalemate and both engaged their respective Trans-Am Systems for high particle charged melee combat. From a distance, the two appeared as two burning lights of teal and golden-orange wisps clashing at each other in a spiral manner. Setsuna/''00 Raiser'' and Graham/Susanowo repeatedly charged each other, clashed with their swords, broke off and repeated their attack upwards four times. In between their combat, the concentration of GN particles created the quantum effect and sent both pilot's minds to the quantum ethereal plane. Even though still physically in combat, the two were able to communicate on a telepathic level. Graham wondered, "Have I already reached Nirvana?" Setsuna answered, "No. This is where the quanta gather." Graham asked, "What nonsense is that!?" Setsuna indirectly replied, "I feel like I understand. Why Aeolia Schenberg created the Gundams. No, why he created the GN Drives." Graham reacted in with surprise. Setsuna continued, Graham asked, "Transform? That's the zenith which you have realized?" Graham then reflected and said, "Boy, you once said that I was distorted. But even you can do nothing but fight. That is why I wish to do battle with you!" Both Setsuna and Graham returned to reality and continued their duel, locked blades in Trans-Am melee combat. Graham continued to say, "And reach the zenith which comes with that victory!" Setsuna asked, "You only desire victory!?" Graham retorted, "What else is there!?" Setsuna answered, "It's obvious!" Setsuna/''00 Raiser'' then put his swords together to form GN Sword Staff to strike. Setsuna continued to say, "Then link to the future...tomorrow!" Setsuna/''00 Raiser'' then struck his weapon upwards and Graham/Susanowo deflected the attack and disarmed Setsuna/''00 Raiser''. Graham/Susanowo dashed a meter up-close to Setsuna/''00 Raiser'', poised for the final victorious blow. As Graham was about to make his winning move, he apologised to Setsuna for killing him. Graham/Susanowo made a vertical downward chop against 00 Raiser and Setsuna/''00 Raiser'' countered by clapping onto Susanowo's GN Katana Staff and broke his blade. Setsuna then cried out, "This is my battle!" Setsuna/''00 Raiser'' pulled out both his beam sabers and stabbed through both the shoulders of Susanowo, knocking the unit out of Trans-Am and revealing its Flag head. Susanowo overloaded and Graham could no longer engage in MS combat. Graham opened the hatch and disembarked from Susanowo as Setsuna/''00 Raiser'' pointed his left beam saber blade at Graham. Graham cried out, "Fight me boy! Kill me and let me see you claim victory with those hands!" Setsuna/''00 Raiser'' deactivated both Trans-Am and his beam saber. Graham shockingly asked, "Why!? Why don't you land the finishing blow!?" Setsuna answered, Setsuna/''00 Raiser'' departed and left Graham stranded near Eclipse, contemplating committing seppuku or living on. Graham chose to live and presumably was rescued by an A-Laws MS carrier. ESF Reform & Peacetime When it was revealed to the world of the A-Laws' misuse of power, the reformed ESF dissolved A-Laws and resolves to make many reforms. Graham, having given up his mask and alias as Mr. Bushido, meets up with Billy at an undisclosed lab. ELS Conflict Two years has passed, Graham is now part of a new division of the ESF Army, the Sol Braves Squadron and pilots the GNX-Y903VW Brave (Commander Test Type). Falling Debris On the Union's Orbital Elevator, Billy had called Graham to talk about the production of the new Brave units, a potential alternative to the GN-X series. Graham then asked about the falling debris (which had been destroyed by Descartes Shaman and the Gadelaza). Billy thought it was strange that the fragments didn't burn up in Earth's atmosphere, and Graham had heard that Brigadier General Kati Mannequin ordered a investigation performed. Graham then asked for Billy to contact him with any further information and he complied. Graham told himself that Billy was a friend to rely on. Covering Celestial Being The Earth Sphere Federation government eventually discovered the debris was actually a metallic lifeform known as a Extraterrestrial Living-metal Shape-shifter or ELS. The ELS were attracted to the people on Earth who had high quantum brainwave latency and sent a large force from a black hole in Jupiter's Big Red Spot to arrive at Earth in 95 days. The ESF responded by sending a force that included Innovator Descartes Shaman and Vice Admiral Kim. The plan was to use Descartes quantum brainwaves to force the ELS to alter their trajectory away from Earth. However, the plan backfired and the ESF battlefleet was lost. Celestial Being soon joined the fray, and Gundam Meister Setsuna F. Seiei resolved to understand the aliens instead of fighting them. However, this attempt left him brain damaged and comatose, and also led to the sacrifice of Tieria Erde and his CB-002 Raphael Gundam along with the GN-008RE Seravee Gundam II. GN-010 Gundam Zabanya (piloted by Lockon Stratos) and GN-011 Gundam Harute (co-piloted by Allelujah Haptism and Marie Parfacy) retreated with the 00 Raiser's cockpit block towards their mothership, the CBS-74 Ptolemaios 2 Kai using the Trans-Am System. However, the ELS caught up to the retreating duo as Hallelujah and Soma diverted most of the ELS away from Zabanya. Just when Zabanya's Trans-Am ran out, the Solbraves shot down a large ELS attempting to assimilate the suit. Graham Aker led his team to defend Celestial Being, using bait tactics to destroy large clusters of ELS. However, the remaining ELS gather in a circle and CB's tactical forecaster, Sumeragi Lee Noriega, radioed the Solbraves to inform them to meet up at a certain point to pick up the GNT-0000 00 Qan[T]. Visiting Setsuna While Setsuna lay in a comatose state within Ptolemy's ICU, Graham boarded the ship to check on him. He encountered Feldt Grace who had been watching over Setsuna. He told her that people keep searching for mutual understanding, but that people would still be looking to find the future, regardless of the ELS and wondered if that was Setsuna's goal. Feldt asked who he was, and Graham replied, Graham then received a call telling him that more ELS had arrived in the solar system, including a ELS planetoid that rivaled the Moon. Graham later left the Ptolemy and returned to the Artorious. Final Battle & Death While the Artorious traveled to the ''Absolute Defense Line in Trans-Am. Graham gave a speech to the pilots of the Solbraves, telling them that they would be putting their lives on the line and ordered them not to die. The Solbraves acknowledged and launched. The Solbraves joined the battle to defend Earth quickly and saw that the ELS were combining to form GN-XIVs. Graham and his men blasted through some of the ELS, but lost Yagan Crow in the process. After mourning his loss, Graham witnessed two cruisers being assimilated and converted into ELS. As the battle began to look bleak for the ESF, Zabanya and Harute joined the battle, but the ELS still overwhelmed their combined forces. When Setsuna awoke from his coma and launched in the 00 QanT, Graham was excited for his return. During the battle, Setsuna, wanting to understand the ELS instead of fight them, was attacked by a group of ELS GN-XIV. Graham and the remaining Solbraves fought them off, as Graham told Setsuna over the com, Graham and his remaining men activate Trans-Am and clear a path for Setsuna, with Graham telling the Meister to live on and take hold of the future. Setsuna continued on as the Solbraves continued to fight. Eventually, Graham's Brave was grabbed by a ELS GN-XIV with the assimilation process beginning to reach his own body as well. With nothing left to lose, Graham decided that the future of humanity was something he would fight for to the bitter end, and charged at the ELS planetoid, aiming for a slowly regenerating hole that had been sliced open by the 00 QanT. As Graham set his Brave's Trans-Am to its emergency overload, he yelled out his last words: Graham slipped through just as the plates on the planetoid sealed, before his Brave self-destructed and blew open a hole from the inside. His sacrifice gave Setsuna the chance to enter the ELS superstructure and use the Quantum System to commence the dialogues with the ELS, ceasing their attacks and bringing mutual understanding. Relationships Celestial Being ;Setsuna F. Seiei :From the very beginning, Graham became obsessed with Gundam Exia because of its outstanding performance during Celestial Being's first intervention. From that point on, Graham made constant exertions to face Exia/Setsuna every time possible. Graham's obsession with Exia went so far that he self-described his feelings towards them as love. :During the events of Season 2, Graham becomes obsessed with defeating Setsuna, seeing him as the person who destroyed his pride as a Flag Fighter. After dueling and losing to Setsuna at L5, Setsuna tells Graham that he must live on and fight to claim his own future instead of throwing his life away in defeat.However ironically Graham never appeared to learn Setsuna's name (Hinted as Graham always calls Setsuna, Young Boy in Season 1 and Young Lad/ Man in Season 2) Earth Sphere Federation ;Union of Solar Energy and Free Nations :;Billy Katagiri ::Billy and Graham were stationed together at MSWAD while Billy was the chief technical advisor. From their interactions with each other, it can be said that the two have been good friends for some time while maintaining a professional relationship. Billy has also personally tuned Graham's mobile suits, creating machines such as the GN Flag, the Masurao, and the Susanowo. :;Ralph Eifman ::Though they are not close, Professor Eifman personally tuned Graham's Flag to better fight the Gundams. Eifman's custom tuning then spread to a group of Flags known as the OverFlags. :;Sleg Sletcher ::Sleg was Graham's superior officer during his early days in the Union Army. On hard times, Sleg offered his daughter's hand in marriage to Graham, hoping that his payroll as an officer would lead her to a better life. Sleg was also a test pilot for Belfactory's Union Blast. Unfortunately, Sleg would commit suicide while piloting the Blast, giving Graham a promotion. It can be inferred that Sleg had a great deal of respect for Graham. Picture Gallery Graham Aker.jpg|Graham Aker in Union Pilot Suit w/o Helmet. 38b.png|Graham in suit. (Season 1) A.D. 2307 38.jpg|Graham in Union Uniform. (Season 1) A.D. 2307 38a.png|Graham in Union Pilot Suit (Season 1) A.D. 2307 Graham Aker 2307.jpg|Graham (27, A.D. 2307) Grahamcoa1.png|Graham's early coat of arms Grahamcoa2.png|Graham's coat of arms 0ndbyelovelessvikkis.jpg|Mr Bushido, Graham Aker's alter ego (Illustration by Yun Kouga) 39.jpg|Graham (Mr.Bushido) in A-Laws Uniform w/ Bushido Attire. (Season 2) A.D. 2312 Mr.Bushido|''Mr. Bushido (32, A.D. 2312) Graham Aker 2312.jpg|Graham (32, A.D. 2312) c12.jpg|Graham in ESF Uniform (Movie) A.D. 2314 c12a.png|Graham in ESF Pilot Suit (Movie) A.D. 2314 Graham_2314.jpg|''Graham'' (34, A.D. 2314) GrahanAkermovie.png|Screenshot of "Gundam 00: A Wakening Of The Trailblazer" showing Graham. Death Graham.JPG|Graham assimilated ELS Graham Aker - Magazine Scan.jpg|Graham Aker - Magazine Article vlcsnap-2011-02-28-13h00m11s167.jpg|Graham relieved to see Setsuna's arrival (movie) Trivia *If a player made Graham pilot a specific mobile suit in SD Gundam G Generation Wars, and performs an attack, Graham will announce the mobile suit's attack with a version with his name on it. Some of the example mobile suits are GF13-017NJII God Gundam and GNW-002 Gundam Throne Zwei, which attacks Graham calls out as "God Graham Finger" and "Graham Fangs", repectively. * In crossover storyline of SD Gundam G Generation Wars, Graham only appear as enemy in Mobile Suit Gundam SEED and develop rivalry against Kira Yamato's ZGMF-X10A Freedom. * In Super Robot Wars Z2 Saisei-hen, Graham has a certain relationship with Code Geass' character, Kyoshiro Todoh. Graham even consider Todoh as someone who could be considered as the "Ultimate Samurai" in the game, despite Todoh was not portrayed as a person that could be considered superior in his original story. *Graham's zealous personality has been a subject of humor for some fans. A common practice is incorporating his lines in other media (videos and MADs), which is often tagged with "Graham Intervention". (グラハム介入, Graham kainyuu) References External Links *Graham Aker on Wikipedia *Graham/Bushido on Gundam 00 Official (Japanese)